Tulsa Dream Center will host its annual “Friendsgiving” community session at both its west and north campuses this week. The gathering offers residents a free meal, turkey and groceries.
The Dream Center’s west campus, 4122 W. 55th Place, will have its session at 11:30 a.m. Thursday. The north campus, 200 W. 46th St. N., will host two sessions at 11 a.m. and noon Saturday.
“This is something that we’ve been doing for 24 years now, being able to provide a Thanksgiving meal to our families,” said Tim Newton, the center’s program director. “We’ll go around asking the boys and girls, what are they thankful for, just like your normal Thanksgiving dinner.”
Newton said he’s expecting to see about 2,000 people attend across the three sessions. Typically, he said, the Dream Center hands out about 2,500 turkeys a year. Anyone who wants a grocery box during the Friendsgiving session will be able to get one, he said.
The meals will be catered by the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma with its chief culinary officer, chef Jeremy Johnson, prepping the meals.
“He’s (a) hometown hero, chef Jeremy,” Newton said. “He grew up here at the Dream Center.”
During the federal government shutdown that ended Nov. 12, thousands of Tulsans were unsure as to when they would receive their benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Situations like that are one reason why Darrel Frater, the Dream Center’s director of development, said they are looking forward to this year’s Friendsgiving.
“We really are here to fill the needs of the community. So whenever the community has a void or need, we’re happy or blessed to be able to fill that need,” Frater said. “We’re happy that we have supporters that allow us to be able to do that work.”
Ismael Lele is a Report for America corps member and writes about business in Tulsa for The Oklahoma Eagle. Your donation to match our Report for America grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting this link.
